Mini Huricane

[simon43]

Actually when I commented the weather/wind was not too bad. But right now it is very strong winds and yes - there are no flights arriving right now.

I was 500 metres away from the airport when the One-Two-Go crash occurred and it was in similar weather.

Simon

[Hostile17]

You guys think they still have the andaman club ferry going with these storms? i have to do the border run in a few days and im kind of scared now.

[stevenl]

You guys think they still have the andaman club ferry going with these storms? i have to do the border run in a few days and im kind of scared now.

Forecasts are better starting tomorrow afternoon.

[RobbieFields]

Bad luck. You choose the wrong time to visit Phuket. I can't really remember such a bad weather week in my 16 years here.

June/July 2000. Sheets of Monsoon rain every day, all day for over 2 weeks. So bad, I availed myself of a cheap Baltic cruise. Came back, told the weather had turned fine, then the rain started again.

Are potential tourists being warned of this weather cycle, raining off and on since April? Are the 'planes still arriving full?

[Chads]

Thankfully I left last week. It was raining everyday of course when I was there, but there were enough clear weather to make my trip fine.

[Shot]

airport still open? nothing in the news

Still open, I can hear the planes taking off and landing. Was at arrivals 30 minutes ago ==> very busy with all the cars, taxis and big puddles

impressive that they can land in this weather

Of course landing is really just a controlled crash.

[LivinginKata]

impressive that they can land in this weather

Of course landing is really just a controlled crash.

I guess you must be a pilot. I have heard many pilots saying much the same thing

[simon43]

@Hostile17, I did a ferry crossing to Kawthaung yesterday. I didn't see the Andaman ferry running, but I'd guess that it would still be operating, since it's a much larger boat than the dinky toy boat that I was in!

But you may need a sick bag - the waves were high and the winds were strong

[Shot]

impressive that they can land in this weather

Of course landing is really just a controlled crash.

I guess you must be a pilot. I have heard many pilots saying much the same thing

Not me, but a good friend of mine is. He would say that every time I went up with him. Kind of unsettling. A few years ago, he did have a crash (uncontrolled landing) caused by a bad weather system while on a search and rescue. So he ended up needing the rescue. He walked away from that one, and has since taken up religion.

[HongKongPhooey]

I'm sure we all agree that "we do have to accept it as is" but I disagree with the "we enjoy it or we don't" comment.

Are you honestly enjoying all the roads being flooded? Have to admit that I'm not enjoying the flooding at all...

It didn't really mean it is as literal as that. I just meant we need to enjoy life in general with the things being the way they are, and if you needed them to be different to be happy, it's probably best to live somewhere else.

Having said that, as long as nobody was getting hurt and peoples houses and businesses weren't getting badly damaged, then I think storms are beautiful, floods and all.

[GiantFan]

Was looking forward to a BB's rueben sandwich for lunch. Travelling south on Sai Kor (Jungceylon back road) via Phrabaramee light. First of all, the lights were out and the cops were in their hut. So finally got through and the coppers wouldn't let you go straight at the next light (light before hospital light). I made a right and thougth I might go via Rat-u-Thit road. No way. Sai nam yen Road very deep. Made a U'y and came back home.

[steelepulse]

That flooding in front of home pro chalong was at least 60 cm in places and maybe more. Bib's were turning cars around and only letting trucks through.

[LivinginKata]

That flooding in front of home pro chalong was at least 60 cm in places and maybe more. Bib's were turning cars around and only letting trucks through.

And Chaofa East just past the Chalong police station was also completely at a stand still today at 14.30. Gave up after 40 minute wait and turned back, like many others.

[StarFighter]

Actually when I commented the weather/wind was not too bad. But right now it is very strong winds and yes - there are no flights arriving right now.

I was 500 metres away from the airport when the One-Two-Go crash occurred and it was in similar weather.

Simon

That storm front was a rogue, pitch black too - I'll never forget it Sept 16.... jayzuz -Was it 2007 ? I see the airport radar is down, for what a couple of months now? There's mistake number one , and add # two, co pilot leaves the gain down on the aircraft doppler, and and then # three, like a down burst and you get another incident. Glad I'm not traveling, especially on a motasai- I'm not traveling at all. I'm right above Bang Tao, seen some gusts of 60 -70mph but it takes sustained winds of 72 mph to make a hurricane. Been through many, many, and many false scares too in 13 years of living in the north Caribbean near Cuba. Spent dam_n near 36 hours once in a Corvette parked in the garage of the Key West Hilton waiting out Hurricane Georges. With my cat. One of the reasons I picked this region to live is that usually hurricanes travel east to west, the hurricane hitting Burma a few years ago being quite rare. Can I ask please, Anyone know of better radar site , (IR particularly )than the Thai Meteorological site? I can't get past the Bangkok centered position screens and the south west map is covering the entire quarter of the globe, and appear to be un-zoomable. Google is such a crap search engine these days, all sponsored sites for crap... crap. Thanks SF

[Old Croc]

Are potential tourists being warned of this weather cycle, raining off and on since April? Are the 'planes still arriving full?

Who should be delivering such a warning to potential tourists?

Their travel agent if they have one? The airline at checkin? The Thai Govt? Their mommy?

I always make myself aware of weather conditions at destinations when I travel, it helps when I pack.

[LivinginKata]

<snip> Anyone know of better radar site , (IR particularly )than the Thai Meteorological site? I can't get past the Bangkok centered position screens and the south west map is covering the entire quarter of the globe, and appear to be un-zoomable. Google is such a crap search engine these days, all sponsored sites for crap... crap. Thanks SF

The Phuket airport radar is working fine http://www2.tmd.go.th/radar/pkt120.php

I also use weather channel http://www.weather.c...ailand THXX0018 it's' zoomable'

[Guest]

At Bang Rong about 7% of the young rubber trees on a couple of years old field were uprooted.

Lots of small tree branches on the road.

[GiantFan]

<snip> Anyone know of better radar site , (IR particularly )than the Thai Meteorological site? I can't get past the Bangkok centered position screens and the south west map is covering the entire quarter of the globe, and appear to be un-zoomable. Google is such a crap search engine these days, all sponsored sites for crap... crap. Thanks SF

The Phuket airport radar is working fine http://www2.tmd.go.th/radar/pkt120.php

I also use weather channel http://www.weather.c...ailand THXX0018 it's' zoomable'

Not sure about the weather channel, but the MET radar out of the airport is not working fine. About 20% of Phuket is not being shown. Perhaps the Nakkerd Hills are getting in the way of the signal. The military radar above Patong is the highest around and should be the default radar.

[KarenBravo]

Yes....the radar at the airport is working fine and has been all day.

[sportsman69]

<snip> Anyone know of better radar site , (IR particularly )than the Thai Meteorological site? I can't get past the Bangkok centered position screens and the south west map is covering the entire quarter of the globe, and appear to be un-zoomable. Google is such a crap search engine these days, all sponsored sites for crap... crap. Thanks SF

The Phuket airport radar is working fine http://www2.tmd.go.th/radar/pkt120.php

I also use weather channel http://www.weather.c...ailand THXX0018 it's' zoomable'

With respect.

StarFighter is asking if there are any other radar sites as He, I and no doubt many others find the missing 90.* segment from SE thru to SW anything but satisfactory. It might look fine to the untrained eye but to any radar operator worth his salt I'm sure they would disagree. It does ' fill in ' under periods of very dense rain, then you don't need it anyway, it's piss'n down aint it ?, but most of the time inaccurate. A tenant of ours sells and installs radars on mega yachts here in Phuket and he reckons it's s**t. Don't hold your breath about IR, please remember where you are located, they're not even up to speed on beach safety. The image on 240 k range is a zoomed version of the main 240k image. It's the best you'll get unless you do your own install.

Up to about 3 months ago it worked reasonably well, at least to Thai standards, then was completely off air for about 2 weeks. Since it's return with what's akin to a speech impediment, It's "what you see is what you get". To my knowledge unfortunately there is no other publicly available radar image in real time, well if you call 15 to 25 minutes behind real time. Be very careful to observe the time stamp and the corresponding image as there was a situation a few weeks or so ago where the image remained the same for 5 days and the time stamp was updated to current time every 20 minutes. Almost criminal if it came to a life threatening situation. Never once did they answer the phone when called.

BTW the site http://www.weather.c...ailand THXX0018 is very good and accurate but is at time of writing 41/2 hrs behind real time, Hardly useful as it is in our case if you wish to play a game of something in the immediate future and try to decide if the weather will cooperate.

I share your sentiments on airport safety.The average arrival / departure punter are blissfully unaware. If they did a remake of the " worlds 10 most dangerous airports ", I and no doubt a few of my pilot friends would agree it would make it into the top 10. If not from past history but from current situations that exist today. IRIC I read in a report that the runway and taxiways presently do not conform with the types of aircraft that are currently using the facility. Something about improperly calibrated tape measures or something like that. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Hope everything works well both ways soon as I booked with Tiger Air to Singapore on 23 June for a visa run. flts. tr 2153 / tr 2158 for anyone interested. Total all inc. was 3,500 B with hand luggage only. only sore point they want an extra 400 B booking fee for using a card. They get you one way or another but at least covered if they go belly up like Strategic. All better than the maybe impossible / risky / boneshaking / tiring, minibus trip to Burma and with all going well...., back. As a note the plane when I booked last night was only 25 % full and the total price had come down from 4,125 B. a week ago.

[sportsman69]

<snip> Anyone know of better radar site , (IR particularly )than the Thai Meteorological site? I can't get past the Bangkok centered position screens and the south west map is covering the entire quarter of the globe, and appear to be un-zoomable. Google is such a crap search engine these days, all sponsored sites for crap... crap. Thanks SF

The Phuket airport radar is working fine http://www2.tmd.go.th/radar/pkt120.php

I also use weather channel http://www.weather.c...ailand THXX0018 it's' zoomable'

Not sure about the weather channel, but the MET radar out of the airport is not working fine. About 20% of Phuket is not being shown. Perhaps the Nakkerd Hills are getting in the way of the signal. The military radar above Patong is the highest around and should be the default radar.

Agree 100% but who are we to tell Somchai how to run his country

[LivinginKata]

@ sportsman69

Good solid post. As far as I know there are no other online radar sites for Phuket. I know what you mean about the 'missing' segment. That's why I switch over to the Krabi radar site to try and work out what is happening to the east of Phuket island. Even look at Chumpon radar to get the wider picture. For a free public service I am impressed by the Thailand airport radar network. Let's not knock it.

[Somtamnication]

Dowroong village, at about 4:30 pm.

[NomadJoe]

^^

Such a profound comment, he had to do it twice...............

Who?

[NomadJoe]

...so far this morning it is somehow even worse. We just had a gust of wind in Rawai that was certainly in the category I hurricane range, 75-95mph. In an impressive display of Bernoulli's principle, two of my louvered windows which were unlatched blew open.

Power cut just as I made that post. Has just now come back on.

[sportsman69]

@ sportsman69

Good solid post. As far as I know there are no other online radar sites for Phuket. I know what you mean about the 'missing' segment. That's why I switch over to the Krabi radar site to try and work out what is happening to the east of Phuket island. Even look at Chumpon radar to get the wider picture. For a free public service I am impressed by the Thailand airport radar network. Let's not knock it.

Understand your sentiments but I suspect your needs are not the same as those who want the correct information in real time.If you look at http://www.bom.gov.a...dar/index.shtml Dedicated Weather Watch Radars You will understand the deficiency of the system in place here and agree it's not " fine ", pick anywhere, almost anywhere on the Aust. coastline you will get a real time image. This above is not an International Airport Radar Site it is a government facility for public information only. The Airport Radar is something totally separate confined to each individual airport and I'm sure not privy to the general public. All a little different from the information given to incoming aircraft on arrival to Phuket. If something is purported to being provided we shouldn't have to jump all around the Internet to make sense of it all. I'm sure an incoming pilot has more on his mind than to deal with an incomplete weather analysis. If we don't knock it what will that prove,? just that we approve more of the total lack of concern until the inevitable happens.....Again.

[NomadJoe]

Crap...wind is whipping up again...hope I don't have to go internet less for another 12 hours!! Just replaced the milk too!

[Guest]

Nice surprise in the morning. That giant light bulb on the sky (forgot it's name already) is back in service. Hopefully this will last for some more hours.

[Guest]

Living in the jungle have it's downsides as well. Tree fell down to the road yesterday and blocked my way out.

[LivinginKata]

Nice surprise in the morning. That giant light bulb on the sky (forgot it's name already) is back in service. Hopefully this will last for some more hours.

Yes, had my first morning walk along Kata beach since the bad weather started. Those beach vendors and massage stalls took a severe beating from wind and high water.